have had a letter today from my AFCO about becoming an RFAofficer cadet??
ive been in the application for an AET for 13months now and they sent me a cover letter informing about the rise in waiting times to 36months,
to my understanding of the letter- this is the civvy fleet- not exactly what i want.
can anybody give me more info as i am quite confused at this :s
they want me to do a course???
its an Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) Cadetship. they have put 'should you be interested in this option you are assured that both applications can be run concurrently and your existing place with the RN would not be effected'
is this just to pass the time until i go in, do i have to still go to basic training for this of just for my AET post, and also how would this benefit me when i do go into the RN.

i apologise for all the questions and if its just me being thick then i apologise for this too. but ive been at work all day and i am genuinley a little confused as to what this is and what to do really
thankyou ..

they have put 'should you be interested in this option you are assured that both applications can be run concurrently and your existing place with the RN would not be effected'
is this just to pass the time until i go in, do i have to still go to basic training for this of just for my AET post, and also how would this benefit me when i do go into the RN.

Click to expand...

Again, it's an option for an alternative career consideration. It is not to "pass the time", it's something you may wish to look into. Then again you may not wish to.

bjuliebryant said:

ive been at work all day and i am genuinley a little confused as to what this is and what to do really

Click to expand...

Me too.

Hopefully you have now digested that the AFCO are suggesting there are other nautical trades available, should you like to investigate further, whilst your AET appliclication remains ongoing.

Should you pass all elements of RFA selection & decide to join the RFA, then your AET application would be withdrawn, but not until you make that decision.

Alternatively, you may choose not to bother investigating alternative careers.

Surely she could do both on a job share or summat? :wink:
Fills a spot in the RFA that is obviously going begging if AFCO Bods are firing off letters, and a 1/2 AET Training spot becomes vacant for another 'suitable ' applicant. Would reduce the list by two anyhoo.

On a recent "update" course involving meeting training staff from all New Entry Training Establishments & most phase two establishments, the only definite thing I came away with was that there's plenty of rumours about the future of the service, but nothing actually known yet.

The Woos seemed quite upbeat & again, whilst only rumour, the general consensus appeared to be that any potential manpower reductions would not necessarily be focused entirely at the recruit level.

Once required manning levels are announced, the method of achieving them will be determined, be it through natural wastage, voluntary redundancies, compulsory redundancies and/or reductions in recruit intakes.

Time and again I've heard senior officers announce that the mistakes made in 93 regarding the manpower black hole as a result of stopping recruitment, will not be repeated.

We reduced recruiting targets last year & next year looks to be similar, but we are still recruiting. Whether waiting times may reduce once exact manning numbers are required is open to conjecture.

In all seriousness, I'd go RFA if offered the choice that you have. As an AET you will live the dream but you will be a rating and comparatively worse off financially, the life style in the RN is probably a bit better, but if you join the RFA as an Officer, you will go through Dartmouth, get some top qualifications and move on to a much better salary once you are fully trained. You also get about a century paid leave per year. I'd stick it out for a few years and if you decide you'd prefer the RN after all, you could then join the RN as an Officer.

Besides the food in the RFA is much better and your accommodation dicks all over anything the RN can offer.

Aim high. In ten years time you could either be a Killick AET living in a stinking 40 man mess and earning about 30 grand a year or you could be a 2 and a half ring Systems Officer living in a single man en suite cabin, with your own steward, earning around 45 grand a year (often tax free), with a holiday home in a foreign tax haven.

In all seriousness, I'd go RFA if offered the choice that you have. As an AET you will live the dream but you will be a rating and comparatively worse off financially, the life style in the RN is probably a bit better, but if you join the RFA as an Officer, you will go through Dartmouth, get some top qualifications and move on to a much better salary once you are fully trained. You also get about a century paid leave per year. I'd stick it out for a few years and if you decide you'd prefer the RN after all, you could then join the RN as an Officer.

Besides the food in the RFA is much better and your accommodation dicks all over anything the RN can offer.

Aim high. In ten years time you could either be a Killick AET living in a stinking 40 man mess and earning about 30 grand a year or you could be a 2 and a half ring Systems Officer living in a single man en suite cabin, with your own steward, earning around 45 grand a year (often tax free), with a holiday home in a foreign tax haven.

Click to expand...

Concur, give it a go, nothing to lose by going through the process - keeps your options open. If I had the choice? Probably RFA SEO